Athens County hears broadband progress reports and flags BEAD awards to Starlink and small providers

County broadband staff told the Athens County Board of Commissioners on March 17 that two Frontier grant‑funded fiber projects—Amesville (about $1.1 million, ~130 locations) and Athens South/Hocking‑South (about $5 million, ~600 locations)—are on track with engineering expected to finish in Q2 and construction beginning in Q3, with service activated as construction passes homes.

Tom Reid reviewed maps produced with Buckeye Hills/OVRDC showing persistent coverage gaps (locations below 10/1 Mbps in dark red and poor upload areas in yellow). He summarized awards against the county map—ARC‑funded locations, prior RDOF fiber, and tentative BEAD outcomes—and said recent federal rule changes that favored lowest bidders and technology neutrality had produced many BEAD awards to Starlink and other LEO providers.

Reid said a foliage analysis found that roughly 70% of Starlink‑awarded locations in the county would be blocked without major tree removal because Starlink requires an approximately 110‑degree clear sky view; terrain impacts were still being analyzed. He also questioned the feasibility of expecting homeowners to erect towers—citing an estimated $30,000 price for a 100‑ft tower—and flagged that Aristotle Communications won some fiber awards despite having little Ohio footprint and a primarily fixed‑wireless background.

The board discussed pricing and practicalities: Frontier fiber was estimated at about $30–$40 per month for a 200/200 Mbps autopay tier; Charter/Spectrum around $50+; and Starlink around $80 for current plans. Commissioners and staff noted pole ownership/clearance issues (often AEP) and that pole‑by‑pole engineering and attachment applications are a current part of Frontier's work.

No formal votes were taken; the update concluded with staff recommending continued monitoring of BEAD outcomes and construction timelines.